Slips & Tangles
by starlightmint
Summary: Sequel to Once & Again and All The Right Moves. Troy and Gabriella are getting married... what could possibly get in their way?
1. The Wedding Dress

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

**Author's Note**: Hello everyone, I'm back! I've had some fun ideas to round off the grown-up Troyella stories, so I'm just continuing on in the hopes it comes out well. I don't know if it will be as long as the last two, but I do hope it entertains.

As well, I must remind you all that **THIS FIC IS RATED M. **Which means, as usual, that **this story is not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16, with possible strong but non-explicit adult themes, references to violence, and strong coarse language.**

Okay, so that's it! Here we go!

_Written November 18, 2006_

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**Chapter 1 – The Wedding Dress**

From the moment I tried it on, I knew it was the dress for me. It was strapless and had a floaty train, and I felt absurdly like a princess just wearing it. Trembling, I stepped out of the changing room to see it in the big mirror on the sales floor. My friend Anna looked up and gasped, and beside her, so did Sharpay.

"That's it, Gabi," Sharpay said, jumping up out of her chair, Anna not far behind. "That's it. That's the one."

I couldn't stop smiling. The fabric felt silky and light, like a dream of a dress instead of a real garment. I twirled, then started to dance about. "Oh my God, guys. I love it, I love it, I love it."

They laughed, and even the wizened old store seamstress cracked a slight smile as she beckoned me to her. She reached to pin the waist, but after examining it closely, she moved back, frowning.

"It must truly be your dress," she said in accented English. "You will need no adjustments at this time. It is fitted."

My eyes snapped over to Anna and Sharpay in shock. They laughed again. "It's a sign," said Anna. "So just buy the damn thing already and we can go for dinner early."

But the seamstress was still talking. "You are also in much luck today," she said, looking at the tag on the hem. "The dress, it is of our older styles. So, you may take this one with you now, if you wish."

Sharpay's eyes goggled. She grabbed my arm. "Gabi. This is _unbelievable_. Usually they just take your measurements and send you your dress four months from now. If you need a sign, this is a _huge_ one. Take it, take it, take it!"

Her fingers gripped my arm a bit too tightly. "Okay, okay, release!" I said, tapping her fingers. She laughed and let go, and I turned to the mirror again, still smiling. "Really, I don't think I'm going to need that much convincing. It's just… perfect."

In the mirror, I could see Sharpay and Anna nodding behind me.

"It is, Gabi," said Anna, touching my shoulder warmly. "You look amazing. When you come down that aisle, Troy won't know what hit him."

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For dinner, Anna took us to a small family-run Mexican restaurant she knew. The place felt so cozy and the food was superb. Giddy with my triumph at dress shopping, I even let Anna cajole me into a third margarita. I found myself laughing almost the whole time.

Anna was going to be my bridesmaid, and Taylor of course would be my maid of honor. But with Taylor still out in New York doing what investment bankers do, Sharpay had magnanimously agreed to be her proxy while we planned the wedding out west. The minute she'd returned from her honeymoon, she'd thrown herself headfirst into organizing my wedding details.

She was actually more help than I'd thought. Two weddings had already taught her what details to spend on and which to save. And since her first wedding had been in Albuquerque, like ours was going to be, she knew all the key retailers and could haggle like a pro. As she drove me home from the restaurant, I couldn't help but say how happy I was that she was helping out.

"Seriously, Sharpay, you should seriously plan weddings as a career or something," I gushed. "You're just so great at it. Seriously."

Wait. Had I said "seriously" three times?

But Sharpay seemed not to notice, shrugging cheerfully as she pulled up onto my street. "Well, I don't mind the work. It's fun. Especially when it's for a good friend." She stopped in front of my apartment building. "Now you'd better get yourself some rest. We're going to have to do this again next week for the bridesmaids dresses. And I can guarantee you it's not going to be as easy as today."

She smiled, and I reached over to hug her. "You could seriously not be any sweeter," I said, hauling the garment bag containing my dress out of the backseat. "Thanks for the ride. Have a good night!"

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I opened the apartment door to find Troy chewing a PopTart in the kitchen, unbelievably handsome in just faded jeans and a t-shirt. I had a strange urge to kiss him full on the mouth, like some terrible romance novel… but instead I dumped my bags on the counter and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Hey," he said. "How was dinner?"

"Good," I said. "We went for Mexican. What did you have?"

"Well…" He laughed and turned me around so we both faced the fridge. "I opened a beer and I was going to make something, but I kind of got sidetracked by the calendar."

Troy's calendar on the fridge was where I'd scribbled in all the upcoming dates and appointments for the wedding. "Oh," I said, realizing how full the weeks were getting. "It's coming pretty quickly, huh?"

"Way too fast." He took a sip of the beer he had on the counter. "And I can't believe that next week I'm doing that thing in Seattle. And then Flagstaff the next week. It's insane."

"Oh, right." I smiled, but a cool wave settled over my heart. Troy was going to spend a week in both Seattle and Flagstaff on a business trip. His company had been doing well lately, and some bigger companies had expressed interest in taking them to "the next level." It was only going to be two weeks, and he'd be back in between trips… but I knew I'd miss him a lot.

Suddenly he spoke again. "So what's in the giant bag?

The excitement from earlier bubbled back up. "Can't you tell?" I said, nudging him.

"Your mom?"

He laughed as I smacked him and grabbed the bag, walking over to the bedroom and closing the door. "Your mom better not come out of there with you," he called after me.

"And why not?"

There was a pause, and then he chuckled. "Because I haven't made anything for dinner. And I…"

But he stopped short when he saw me come back out, wearing the dress.

"And what?" I said, grinning slyly.

"I… don't remember," He drew a slow breath, leaning back onto the counter. "Wow. Your wedding dress."

The urge to kiss him flashed up again, stronger than before. I walked lightly toward him and slid my arms around his neck. "What do you think? Good enough to marry me in?"

"I'd say so," he said, a smile spreading on his face. His arms wrapped around my waist. "The real question is whether I'm going to look good enough in a tux to marry you in this dress."

"Yeah?" I said, kissing him softly on the neck.

"Yeah," he said, his breathing suddenly turning shallow. "Jesus, Gabi, you look incredible…"

But I cut him off with a kiss on the mouth, long and soft and sweet. His body felt warm and strong against mine, and his hand reached up to hold the back of my neck as the kiss deepened. Breaking apart, we were both breathing hard. His eyes were bright as he looked at me.

"Could you…" he said. "Could you maybe wear this dress all the time?"

I laughed, kissing him again. "Maybe. But… not for the next hour or so."

"The next hour or so… oh." He laughed, and then without warning, he scooped me up off the ground, making me squeal. "Okay, Montez," he said, kissing me again as we collapsed onto the bed. "I can live with that."

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**Author's Note**: Oh, it's so nice to see them together again. And don't worry, you know I'm going somewhere with all this….


	2. The Suit

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

**Author's Note**: Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. Silly FF's e-mail alerts weren't working, so I wasn't sure anyone was going to read it at all…. but you did, which is lovely :) Also, I still don't think the alerts are working yet, but I can't help but publish this anyway. I've been sitting on it for too long already!

Again, I'm not really going to do much recapping of events in this story, so you'll have to go read O&A and ATRM in my profile should you find anything a bit unexplained (ie: Gabi's job situation, etc).

_Written November 19, 2006_

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**Chapter 2 – The Suit**

At work the next week, Anna popped her head over my cubicle wall.

"Hey," I said, looking up from my computer. It was ten minutes before we were done for the day. "Ready to shop for your bridesmaid's dress?"

"Gotta fix something first." She grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of my chair. "Last minute shoot. You've got to be in it."

"Me? What?"

She was dragging me to the photo studio at the end of the hall. "Some publicist kiboshed the article on page 53 for this issue. Now Sophie has to write a rush replacement or else the page is blank."

I stumbled over a pile of boxes near the copier. "But the deadline for the printer was today…"

"Today in twenty minutes." She stopped at the door to the studio. "So Sophie's going to write on those suits we got from Ballard Sciences, and I need to photograph them. Cutting-edge military armor or something. Mike's going to wear the guy version, but you're the only one left who's small enough for the women's suit." She gave me a look. "Just put the damned thing on, Gabi. It'll only take a second."

I sighed dramatically. "Okay, okay."

"You're the best, Gabriella Montez," she said, grinning and squeezing my hand. "Okay, Sophie'll get you ready. I'll be right back." She dashed away quickly, heading back in the direction of her office.

I walked into the studio, a huge, airy room with windows all along one side and a million different adjustable lights. On one wall, a roller hung from the ceiling, containing multiple backdrops that could be dropped at a touch of a button. Near it, I could see Sophie Morgenthal, one of our staff writers, hunched over a pile of heavy grey material hanging out of a box.

"Oh hey, Gabi," she said. She stood up, brushing her flame-red hair out of her face. "Thanks for doing this. I got Mike his suit already, but on yours I can't seem to get the zipper undone… oh." The zipper had suddenly come free in her hands. "Okay, here it is, I guess."

I stared at it. The suit seemed to be just stretchy grey fabric with plastic pieces on the shoulder and elbow. "Um…"

"Oh, wait…" Sophie reached into the box and pulled out a pair of boots, and a huge motorcycle-style crash helmet with a glossy black finish. "Can't forget these."

"Oh, no…"

But before I could finish, she had already ushered me into the women's bathroom and into a stall. "I think you're going to have to take your shirt and pants off, or else the suit's going to look all lumpy," she called over the door.

I'd already figured as much. "Great," I said, murmuring curses as I stuffed myself into the stupid suit and pulled the boots on. Unlocking the stall door, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, holding the helmet in my arms. "Wow, I look like a video game character." I plucked at the thin fabric. "And just how is this suit supposed to protect anybody from anything, exactly?"

Sophie held up a phone-book-sized instruction manual and grinned. "Apparently it's heatproof, waterproof, and impervious to most chemical weapons. You can even be shot in it and you won't feel a thing." She laughed at my expression. "No, we won't do that to you today."

"You'd better not," I said, shooting her a threatening look. I put on the helmet, and strangely, it was light as a feather. And despite the blackness of the outside, the view was perfectly clear from all directions…. except for the word ALERT flashing in red on the right hand side.

"Soph," I said, as she grabbed my hand and led me out of the bathroom. "I think the suit's broken. There's a red ALERT flashing in the corner. Don't try roasting me in flames while I'm in this. I mean it."

"Gabi, you are no fun at all." Laughing, she pulled me through the studio doors, where Anna was already snapping detail pictures of Mike in his suit. "But there won't be any flames this time. Just get ready for your closeup!"

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Anna was as good as her word. The shoot took about five minutes, even though I was posed in dorky fight positions for most of it. Then, as she finished up and dashed out to download the photos, Sophie came up to me, a frown on her face.

"Gabi, are you still seeing that ALERT in your helmet?" she asked, flipping through the huge manual.

"Yeah," I said. "I guess there's a malfunction or something."

"It's just… kind of weird." She chewed a fingernail, still looking intently at the book. "Ballard Sciences guarantees that these suits would be perfectly functional for at least 10 years. It's partly why they got the military contract in the first place."

"Maybe they lied."

"Maybe." She sounded intrigued. "Would be a good bit for the article if that were true. But let's try something first. Look, can you wave your hand like this?"

I mimicked her as she wiggled her fingers off toward her right. The red ALERT letters zoomed to the top of my field of vision and a chart of red words and numbers came down.

"Oh, wow," I said. "This is like the world's best video game."

She laughed. "You're seeing a chart, right? Are any of the words or numbers flashing? That's where the alert notice will be coming from."

I scanned the field. "Oh, um…. yeah. In the middle." I squinted to make sure I was reading it properly. "It says… HCG Levels: High."

It sounded familiar, but I couldn't think why.

"HCG levels?" She flipped through the book again. "Well, I've got to check the glossary. But basically, that chart registers the bio-status of the soldier wearing the suit. It monitors everything in the body so the military can track injuries, fitness level, that kind of stuff." She scoffed lightly. "Probably just means you have a cold coming on or something."

Maybe. But it didn't sound quite right. I took the helmet off, the letters still running through my head. _HCG. HCG. HCG. _

It hit me just as her finger fell on the right page.

"Here," she said. "HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin. It's a hormone made by your body soon after…" She looked up at me, startled. "Soon after… conception. It means you're…"

"Pregnant," I finished softly, my mouth dry as a bone. "It means I'm… pregnant."


	3. The Revelation

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

**Author's Note:** Yay, FF alerts are back! Except now the document upload isn't working, so I used a document export workaround! Oh God, it's like the universe does not want me to get this chapter up, but finally it's here. I'll talk more about it after you read it.

_Written November 25, 2006_

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**Chapter 3 – The Revelation **

I stared at Sophie. I knew she was talking, but I couldn't make out anything she was saying. The word _pregnant_ had started to echo in my head, louder and louder and louder, until it rose to block out everything and everyone.

_I'm pregnant._

But I couldn't be pregnant. I just couldn't be. Troy and I… we were always so careful.

_Or… were we?_

I couldn't think. Maybe… that time with the wedding dress. Three margaritas. I couldn't remember clearly enough to be sure.

_No. This cannot be happening._

I was set to coordinate next month's issue of the magazine. I had been planning to stay late, get a jump on the issue after that, work myself hard and maybe get a promotion. Not… have a baby.

And my wedding. Six months from now. So much left to be planned. And I already had the perfect wedding dress.

_Not anymore._

I felt like I was losing my ability to breathe.

The world seemed to tumble and shift, and suddenly my eyes lifted to see Anna there, talking to Sophie. And then she turned, her hand touching my shoulder, and she was guiding me down the office corridor. A door opened and closed, and the light went from soft to bright.

"We're in the bathroom, Gabi." Anna's voice echoed against the walls, suddenly clear. "You just need to get changed..."

I realized I was still wearing the suit, the helmet clutched between my hands.

"But Gabi..." Her face bobbed closer, and she looked at me seriously, her voice growing soft. "How are you feeling? Are you doing okay?"

There was just enough air left in my lungs.

"Anna," I choked out. "I'm pregnant. I can't be pregnant. Oh Jesus…"

She caught me before I fell, but not before I started to cry.

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I cried for an embarrassingly long time on Anna's shoulder. And when the tears started to fade, she helped me over to the office lounge. I lay on my side on one of the soft couches, feeling exhausted. And strangely, I thought I heard Sharpay's voice in the distance, at first heated and then suddenly hushed.

Suddenly I missed Troy so much that it hurt. But he was still in Seattle, and wouldn't be back for a few more days. I closed my eyes, curling up tight, and felt my fingertips brush my stomach. My hands flinched back as if burned.

_Oh, Troy._

I wanted his arms around me so badly.

I missed his blue eyes, his warm smile, the way he made me feel so safe. I thought about how much I loved him, and how much I knew he loved me. And I thought about what he would say if he found out I was carrying his child.

Our child.

_Well._

Suddenly, it felt like something warm was blossoming within me. I put a hand to my stomach, and this time, it didn't move.

"Gabi?"

A hand touched my head. I opened my eyes to find Sharpay before me, Anna standing behind her.

"Honey, you look like you're feeling better," Sharpay said kindly. "Are you doing all right now?"

I clasped my hands over my stomach, and smiled. "Yeah… I think so, Sharpay."

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It turned out Sharpay had come to the office to yell at us after we'd missed out on bridesmaid dress shopping. But after finding out the news, she piled us into her car instead, driving directly to the nearest drugstore.

"Listen, Gabi," Sharpay said, whisking me out of her car and through the entrance. "Now it's just a suit. We don't have to accept that you're pregnant just yet."

Anna ran to keep up with us. "I don't know, Sharpay," she said. "Weren't those military-grade sensors in that suit?"

"Oh, the military." Sharpay waved a hand. "What do they know?"

I stifled a laugh, and Sharpay stopped and turned. Crossing her arms, she stared at us both sternly.

"Okay, look," she said. "Really, those tests don't know anything. When my cousin and her husband tried for a baby a couple of years ago, they got a billion false positives. It was because of the infertility drugs, and something called a chemical pregnancy." She shrugged. "It's like a miscarriage, but so early in the pregnancy that it's not really called a miscarriage."

My head started to throb. "Wait… so I might be having a miscarriage?"

"No, you're not having a miscarriage…" Sharpay sighed, reaching for my hand. "You're just maybe not pregnant. That's all."

Then she turned on her heel, waving for us to follow as she stalked purposefully down the aisles. "So really, the suit is just one test," she said. "We need a second opinion, or even a third. We'll get a pregnancy test from the drugstore here. And we'll schedule an appointment with your doctor, so you can get a blood test and an exam. Until then… let's just not assume that you're… you know."

I felt oddly relieved at how logically she'd worked this all out. "Okay."

"Good," she said, coming to a halt at the back of the store. And suddenly, we all fell silent, staring at the huge wall of pregnancy tests in front of us.

"Um…" Finally I reached up and plucked one off the shelf. "I, uh, never realized there were so many." I read the package slowly, feeling slightly confused. "So… which one do you think I should get?"

"No, wait." Anna suddenly grabbed the box out of my hand. "Just… don't worry about anything. Leave this to us."

"Yeah." Sharpay jumped in. "You just go find yourself a treat and we'll come get you in a bit."

"A treat?"

She turned slightly pink. "Well, it's what I tell Matthew and Dylan when I need them to keep busy," she said. "But just go off for a bit, okay? Really, we'll take care of everything. And if you do happen to find something you like… we'll just get that too."

Then the two of them made shooing noises at me until I rolled my eyes and backed away. "Fine, fine," I said, smiling good-naturedly.

I wandered slowly to the other end of the store, idly looking for possible treats. Passing shelves filled with body scrubs and shampoos, a tiny display of stuffed animals suddenly caught my eye. It sat at the end of an aisle, just one lonely shelf of cute little bunnies and teddy bears.

I picked up a bunny, marveling at the softness of its fur. I had always been a stuffed animal fan as a kid. I wondered if maybe my baby—if I was indeed having one—might be the same way. Well… whatever it liked, I knew Troy was going to spoil it rotten. If our baby liked stuffed animals, he'd somehow find the biggest and best stuffed animals for it to play with. He was just going to go nuts for this kid… if we were having one, that is.

I found myself smiling, and the bunny's black eyes shined cheerfully back at me. Okay. I'd found my treat. Holding the toy in my hand, I turned down the aisle to wander back to the other side of the store… and promptly bumped hard into someone coming my way.

"Sorry," I mumbled, trying to dodge back and go around instead.

But the person was looking at me strangely. "Hey… Gabriella, right?"

I looked up and realized it was Dean Barclay, one of Troy's co-workers. I'd met him at one of Troy's office parties a while back. He was an older, balding guy, and I remembered him being sharp and funny and unendingly kind to me. And from the way Troy spoke of him, I knew Troy liked him a lot.

"Hey, Dean," I said sheepishly. "Sorry for the bump back there. How are you doing?"

"Just hitting the store before I headed home. Same with you?"

"Yeah, just picking up a few essentials." I held up the bunny. "This and… um, oh no." Looking around, my cheeks started to flame. Directly in front of me were the shelves of condoms and contraceptives. "Um. Just the bunny."

"Oh, of course," he said, blushing as he let out a polite laugh. "So… uh… Troy. You must have been hearing from Troy in Seattle, right?"

"Oh, definitely." He called every night to fill me in.

"Yeah… we're really excited back at the office." Dean's eyes had suddenly lit up. "The Seattle investors are being just terrific, and together they've hashed out this brilliant creative growth plan for the next few years."

I felt a surge of pride for Troy. "Really?"

"Really. It's great news. We really need an investment and it's coming in exactly the way we want it." He grinned. "Which I guess means a big thank you to you, you know."

I looked at him. "A thank you to me? For what?"

He suddenly turned a deep shade of red. "Oh no. Why did I just say that?" He put a hand over his face. "Oh God, this is so dumb..."

I smiled. "Dean. What is it?"

He looked up at the ceiling, still red. "Okay," he said, as if talking to himself. "Well… there's no way. I'm just too far in."

He turned his eyes to me and grinned sheepishly. "So... just know that we're complete idiots at the office. And that we all really do like you very much. It's just… we have kind of a bad running joke about Troy." He blushed even harder, if that were possible. "It's just that Troy's always seemed a bit sensitive to girl trouble. The last time he broke up with a girl, he managed to make us miss the deadline for a product launch."

My stomach did a twist. "He did?"

"Yeah." Dean laughed guiltily again. "So… we've kind of started pretending that anytime he messes up at the office, he's got girl stuff on his mind. Even about six months ago, he almost fumbled a major community complaint on the site, and everybody joked that there must have been trouble in paradise."

Six months ago. Six months ago, we had fought. I had taken off my ring and flown to New York.

"That's no reflection on you, of course," Dean continued. "We just like teasing Troy. And he took it in stride, and it was all completely fixed in the end." He shrugged, still smiling. "But really, it's just a dumb joke. It doesn't mean anything. And we all know he's got nothing to worry about right now."

_Not at all. _

Somehow, I managed to force out a smile. "Oh, no. Of course not."

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**Author's Note:** Sweet Jesus, this was the hardest chapter I have ever written. It took me this entire week, when those of you who have read stories of mine know I usually update every day or two. But fear not, I think the worst is over now. Hopefully the rest of the chapters will be pouring out like manna from heaven. (And I promise, they won't all be cliffhangers!)

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed thus far though! I love writing these fics almost solely because you reviewers leave such lovely, lengthy comments. I can't wait to hear what you have to say about this one :)  



	4. The Phone Call

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

**Author's Note**: This felt better to write. I think I'm hitting a stride again. Gosh, you really do have to keep flexing that writing muscle on a regular basis, don't you?

_Written November 28, 2006_

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**Chapter 4 – The Phone Call**

I wanted to be angry at Dean, but I couldn't do it. Thinking back, I realized I had already known how distracted Troy could get. Back in high school, when Taylor and Chad had hatched that webcam plot… he'd gone way off his basketball game while we were apart. I'd thought that maybe he'd toughened up his focus since that time… but I supposed he hadn't.

But damn it: I needed Troy right now. Though, if what Dean had said was true, the company needed him just as badly too. Getting the proper investment for expansion was crucial. And I knew how much Troy loved his work.

_Oh… fuck._

A hundred more swears flashed into my mind when suddenly, a tap came at my shoulder.

"Okay, come on."

Startled, I turned to see Sharpay motioning for me to follow her to the cash register. I tried to calm down and smiled brightly at her, pushing Dean and Troy as far out of my mind as I could.

"Found your treat?" she asked, seeing the bunny in my hand. "I'm used to Dylan and Matthew trying to buy fifty huge bars of chocolate each, but I guess that's not your style."

I laughed. "Man, I totally chose wrong."

She turned at the end of the aisle. "Ha. If those two can't get away with it, don't start thinking you can."

Anna waved at us from a checkout a short distance away. On the conveyor belt in front of her sat a small pile of brightly colored boxes. I looked at her quizzically. "What…"

"Well," she said. "We kind of couldn't decide. So we got one of each. And don't you dare pull out your wallet," she said, slapping my hands away from my purse. "I'm buying. I mean, Sharpay and I are." She grabbed the bunny and put it on the conveyor too. "And we're taking that too."

"Come on, guys…"

"Don't say a word," she said, giving me a warning look. "I can't think of a better way to spend my hard earned money than on six pregnancy tests and a stuffed animal. Oh…"

We had hit the front of the checkout line. The cashier looked at the pile, then raised an eyebrow at us. "Party time, huh?" she said, checking them through.

"Two positives wins the bunny," said Sharpay, forcing her way past Anna. "And put this all on my card, would you?"

Anna gave her a peeved look. I laughed and took the bag the cashier had packed for us. "Well, it could be worse," I said to her as we headed back out to the parking lot. "You could actually need six pregnancy tests and a stuffed animal."

She laughed, squeezing my arm as she opened the car door. "Well, yes, there is that."

_Or, you might also have to tell your fiancé that you may or may not be pregnant with his baby… and ruin one of the city's most prized internet companies in the process._

I felt my stomach twist and ruthlessly yanked my thoughts back.

_He can take it. That won't happen. _

Or... could it?

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We sat on my living room floor and sorted through the tests. Sharpay pulled out the instructions and read each one carefully. Toying idly with my stuffed animal, I eyed the cordless phone sitting on the coffee table next to me. Troy called every night before I went to bed. And what was I going to say?

But Sharpay was suddenly speaking. "Okay," she said, a thoughtful look on her face. "Well, it just seems like the longer you wait to take any of these tests, the more accurate it will be."

I let out a scoff. My insides felt on edge. "How about nine months? Then we'll have visual confirmation too."

"Oh, quiet," she said, handing the inserts to me to read. "A couple more days will do. Even another week or two. Just long enough so the theoretical baby might develop to the point where it's prompting your body to release hormones." She stretched out her legs in front of her. "Some of these claim to be more sensitive than others, but they're basically all the same thing."

Leaning against the couch, Anna reached out and kicked her lightly. "Excuse me. The OneStep test is clearly far superior to NeedToKnow."

"Uh huh." Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Anyway. So I guess just to be sure, wait a few days and then try one of them. And book an appointment with your doctor for next week, and then we'll know for sure." She shrugged. "And that's basically that."

And suddenly the cordless phone rang on the table beside me. I knew without looking that it was him.

My hands suddenly felt clammy. "It's Troy," I said getting up quietly. "I'll just… give me a minute."

They nodded, and I retreated to the bedroom, shutting the door. Still clutching the stuffed animal, I sat on the bed, staring at the phone on my bedside table. It was surprisingly loud in the closed space of our room.

_Just pick it up and tell him already_. _He's a grown man._

I put the toy on the nightstand and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey."

His voice was so warm. It was strange, but something seemed to be melting inside me, just hearing him. "Hi sweetie," I said. "How's Seattle?"

"Oh, you know. Full of grunge rock and Starbucks."

I laughed. I could almost see him grinning as he said that. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." He laughed with me. "Good day though. We spent most of it up at the Sierrasoft offices, and actually figured out part of the investment they want to make. Wendy did an incredible job on our five-year plan presentation. And then we got to meet most of their product development team, who might be really awesome to work with."

I smiled. "Sounds like you're doing well."

"Something like that." He laughed. "We're doing better than expected, I think. But I don't want to jinx it."

And still smiling, I listened as he started to talk about the deal he was helping hammer out, how well it was going, and how hard the Flagstaff team would need to hustle to be competitive next week. And listening to him, I heard the sound of excitement in his voice, the tinge of happiness in his speech, and the effortless confidence he radiated when he was doing well.

And I realized how proud of him I was, and how much I loved that he was passionate about his work. And I thought about how much I loved him, and how much I wanted him to do well.

I heard him yawn. "I should probably go soon," he said. "Getting up early tomorrow. More meetings. You know." There was a soft pause, and then he spoke again. "But you're pretty quiet tonight, Montez. Everything going okay? How's my girl doing?"

I looked at the little bunny sitting near the phone.

"I'm fine," I said. "Just a little tired, that's all. Don't worry about me."

He laughed. "Well, if you say so," he said. "Okay. Love you. Miss you. Talk to you soon."

"Love you too."

"Sleep well, Montez."

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**Author's Note**: As always, thanks for your lovely reviews on the last chapter. It was a tough one to plot and write, and your wonderful words of support meant quite a lot. It's totally nuts that we're already at 54 reviews and there are only three chapters thus far. I'm kind of scared to see how high that will climb by the end of this whole thing :)


	5. The Anticipation

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

_Written November 29, 2006_

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**Chapter 5 – The Anticipation**

Getting ready for work on Monday, someone suddenly buzzed the apartment. I grabbed the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Zeke."

"Zeke?"

"Buzz me in, okay? I've got something for you. I won't be long."

I opened the door and he was standing there with a box in his hands.

"Hey," he said, smiling. "Just was driving by and thought you might like some pastries this morning."

I smiled, taking the elegant bakery box he held out. "Wow, thanks, Zeke. That's so thoughtful of you."

Zeke laughed. "Well… it wasn't really all me. Sharpay thought it might be nice. Seeing as you're here on your own and all."

"Ohh." Of course she would do that. "Troy's back tonight, actually. And… leaving again on Thursday night." I rolled my eyes and he grinned.

"Okay. Maybe we'll catch up with him while he's here." He waved, turning to go. "Enjoy the pastries, Gabi."

"Definitely."

------------------------------------

Coming home after work, I saw Troy's bags near the front door, and the front closet stood open with his jacket hanging inside. The bedroom door was ajar, and I pushed it open to find him on his stomach on the bed, fully clothed and fast asleep.

I couldn't help smiling as I crawled onto the bed and curled up beside him. His eyes fluttered open when I kissed him on the cheek, a slow smile spreading on his face. "Hi," he said.

"Hi," I said back, and then he reached for me, his arm pulling me close. "Hi," he said again, his eyes softly staring into mine, and then he kissed me on the mouth, long and slow and sweet. And when we broke apart, he nestled his face into the crook of my neck, curving his body warmly around mine. "Hi," I heard him breathe against my skin.

"You're home," I whispered, stroking his back, holding him close.

He kissed my shoulder, once and then again. "I know," he said.

------------------------------------

He seemed exhausted. I lay there with him for a while as he slept, and then finally untangled myself and slid off the bed. Walking into the kitchen, I dug the leftovers from yesterday's dinner out of the fridge and heated them up. And turning the TV on, I caught the middle of a new Oprah episode She repeated the title: _What I Wasn't Told: New Dads Tell Their Stories._

I changed the channel… and then suddenly dropped the remote and rocketed straight into the bathroom.

_The tests. The tests._

I slammed the door shut and quickly found the boxes in the cabinet under the sink. Pulling out the six pregnancy test sticks, I shoved them into a box of tampons. Then I broke the boxes down and tore them up.

_Shit. Okay. Okay._

Breathing hard, I sat back against the wall. Why were the tests still here? Why hadn't I done one of them already? Oh—right. I'd managed to squeeze into an appointment with Dr Garber for tomorrow. I'd figured she could do her test first. Plus, it was so soon after the suit test… I didn't want to try it too early. In case the result wasn't… right.

I looked down suddenly and realized my hand was resting lightly on my stomach.

_And what is the right answer, Gabi?_

Suddenly I jumped as a knock came at the door.

"Hey… everything okay?" Troy's voice sounded confused.

I must have woken him up. "Um…" I looked around, snatching up the remains of the pregnancy test boxes and shoving them into the pockets of my jeans. "Yeah. Just… had to… go really bad."

He laughed. "So bad that you didn't flush the toilet."

Oh. Sheepishly, I reached over and flushed it.

"Thought about washing your hands, too?"

_Bolton_. I ran my hands under the taps and opened the door. "Happy?"

He leaned against the doorway, grinning mischievously, his hair rumpled from sleeping. "No," he said. "What were you really doing in there, Montez?"

"Oh, I was…"

My mind raced frantically, but suddenly he was grinning again, hooking his fingers into the belt loops of my jeans and lazily pulling me close.

"You know," he said, his breath warm on my cheek. "I'm not sure I care."

And then he kissed me, sliding his hand up into my hair, this time meaning it as more than just a simple welcome back. And I found myself gasping for breath as his lips moved to my neck, his fingers slipping under my shirt to touch my skin. "I've missed you, Montez," he murmured, and I knew I'd missed him too, my hands sliding roughly up the length of his sides. I almost couldn't think as his hand crept under the clasp of my bra, and the other moved... near the pockets of my jeans.

I pushed back suddenly, breaking away. He looked at me, breathing hard. "What…"

"Nothing… I just…" I fumbled for an excuse. "I can't. I've just… I've got my period. I feel all cramped up. It won't… be any fun."

I wanted him so badly, I didn't think I sounded remotely believable. But after a moment, he let out a long breath, and put his arms around me. "Okay," he said, kissing me on the forehead. "Okay. Some other time then."

He rubbed my back and I felt suddenly like crying out in desperation. "Yeah, some other time," I forced out.

------------------------------------

Later, I took the kitchen garbage out to the Dumpster and cleaned my pockets out too, tossing every scrap of cardboard in after it. Walking back to the apartment, I paused in front of our door for a moment, thinking of Troy. How he held me when he'd arrived. How I could have been in his arms right now.

Suddenly, it all seemed ridiculous. The lies were already piling up, and I knew he could handle himself at work. I was going to tell him everything. I reached for the doorknob, then suddenly pulled my hand back.

_No….. just tell him tomorrow, once you've seen the doctor. When you actually have something to report. You can give him this._

The pregnancy tests were best done in the morning, anyway: something to do with a higher concentration of chemicals overnight. So… by the end of tomorrow, I'd have three tests done instead of just one. And Troy would finally know everything.

Sighing, I opened the door, praying for the night to move fast.

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**Author's Note.**

Jesus, why won't she just freaking TELL HIM already? I'm getting pissed off and I'm writing this damn story. I just can't let her tell him until everything's bloody aligned in the right way, and it's taking just way too long.

Uh. As you can tell. This story is harder than it looks. And I'm a bit uncertain about it at times. But on the flipside, I'm really proud of the coming home scene: that one really made me melt :D


	6. The Test

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

_Written November 30, 2006_

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**Chapter 6 – The Test**

I blinked awake as my alarm went off at seven. Troy shifted beside me, probably getting ready to go to work, but I hit snooze and pulled the covers over my head. My doctor's appointment was at 11, so I was taking a half-day at work. I could afford to sleep in another hour.

Suddenly the alarm went off again. I blinked at the time and saw it was already 7:15… but Troy was still in bed beside me.

"Hey," I said, nudging him with my elbow. "You're going to be late."

He grunted and wrapped his arm around me, spooning me from behind. "I'm not going to work."

"What?"

He laughed sleepily, hugging me closer. "I'm taking the day off after getting back from a business trip. Is that so wrong, Montez?"

"Oh… no." Just that I needed to take the pregnancy tests without him noticing. And figure out a good reason that I was taking a half-day.

He kissed the back of my head. "Now, shouldn't you be getting up?"

Shit. "No," I said, racking my brain again. "I'm taking a half-day. I've… I'm going to the doctor." Oh, crap. "But… it's just a check-up. This was just the only time I could get an appointment."

"Okay," he said. "I can take you. We can go for lunch afterward."

"Oh…" I floundered. "No, it's okay. You should just relax. I'm fine on the bus. It's not that far."

"Really?" He kissed my head again.

I reached up to cover his hand with mine, sighing a little inside. "Really."

----------------------------------

I grabbed my chance when he decided to go for a run. The minute the front door closed, I raced to the bathroom, pulling out the tampon box with the tests inside. But sitting down on the toilet lid with all the test sticks, I felt suddenly confused. I knew you just had to pee on them to do the test… but where exactly on the stick should you pee?

One seemed to be entirely made of smooth plastic with no obvious reading zone in sight. One had a spongy tip poking out of each end. And one had a weird digital meter on it… wouldn't I short it out? Where were the instructions? Oh shit… they were in the boxes. The boxes that I'd torn up yesterday.

_Great. _

Suddenly the doorbell rang. That had been a fast run. I shoved the tests in the box and tossed them back under the sink, then went to open the front door. "Hey…"

There stood Sharpay, with Dylan holding one hand and Matthew the other. "Hey, Gabi! Your neighbour let us in the front door."

She bustled past into the apartment, the kids chorusing, "Hi Aunt Gabriella!" as they went by. I turned and looked at her in confusion. "Sharpay—what's going on?"

She rolled her eyes, settling the kids on the couch with some snacks she produced from her handbag. "Your appointment, remember? It's in an hour. I thought I'd come with you, since Troy's not here." Suddenly she shot an icy glare over to the living room. Dylan was reaching for something on the coffee table. "Don't touch anything. And don't move off that couch."

"Look, Troy is here," I said. "I told Zeke yesterday."

"You did?" Suddenly she turned red. "Oh, no. I don't think he told me. It must have slipped his mind. Oh dear. Well, we can go…"

But I jumped in. "No. Wait. Maybe you can help me figure something out." I hurried her to the bathroom and pulled out the sticks. "I tried to do these this morning… but I don't know how any of them work." I sighed as she gave me a look. "Look, I lost the instructions. It's a long story. But this is harder than it seems."

She examined the sticks. "Well," she said, looking at the smooth plastic one. "Maybe this comes apart somehow… oh, no." It broke in her hands, pieces of plastic falling to the floor. "Sorry. But… this one." She grabbed the one with the sponge tipped ends. "You just pee on the end."

"Which end?"

"Both?" She looked at it more closely. "Yeah, both," she said decisively. "I think it's basically two tests in one. So you can have two readings at once."

"Okay," I said. She hopped out of the bathroom and gave me a minute to try it. "So?" she called after a little while.

"How long do you have to wait to see the results?"

"Usually a few minutes."

I opened the door. "Like five? Ten minutes?"

She came in and we stared at the test on the counter. "Some were just one minute though... hey, I guess this was one of them."

The plastic window in the middle of the stick was suddenly changing colour. Two dark blue lines appeared. "Oh, that's great," I said excitedly.

"That you're not pregnant?"

"No, that the test worked…" My heart dropped. "I'm not? Is that what it means?"

She put her hands up. "I don't know! I thought that was why you were excited. What do two lines mean?"

I groaned, feeling like a total idiot. "I don't know. I lost the instructions."

"The instructions to what?"

And suddenly Troy was standing at the door, grinning in his running gear. I scooped the pregnancy tests off the counter and shoved them in the pocket of my pyjamas. How long had he been standing there?

Sharpay smiled. "To…"

"To this coffeemaker I lent her from the office," I blurted out.

I felt Sharpay's eyes lasering into me. Troy raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Sharpay," he said, nodding at her. "So, you guys are standing in the bathroom, talking about coffeemakers?" He lowered his voice. "I think your kids are frozen to my couch, by the way."

"They should be," she said darkly, but Troy was looking at me now, curious.

"Well." I let out a weak laugh and flailed for answers. "No, actually… Sharpay came by to talk about… this new digital thermometer."

I flashed Sharpay a pleading look and pulled out the pregnancy test with the digital readout from my pocket.

"Oh, really?" Troy looked kind of interested.

Sharpay stared at me for a second, and then took the digital test from me, turning to him. "Yes, Gabi's going to lend it to me for Matthew," she said. "Some new prototype the magazine got. And Matthew always gets so sick. I wanted to try it out on him, see how sensitive it was."

"Oh, that's cool," he said.

She turned to me, her gaze steely. "So, your appointment? You still need a ride?"

I felt myself turning slightly red and kept my eyes away from Troy. "Sure, if you're going that way."

"Okay," she said, gripping my upper arm tightly and pulling me out of the bathroom. "Just get yourself changed, and we'll be on our way."

She ushered me over to my closet and shut the bedroom door. Troy was still leaning against the bathroom door frame, looking at me. For a minute, he looked as though he was going to say something. Then he shook his head, and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.


	7. The Results: Part I

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

**Author's Note:** Had to break this in two for space and timing reasons. Part II is already up, so don't feel like I left you hanging here!

_Written November 30, 2006_

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**Chapter 7 – The Results**

**Part I**

"You haven't told him yet."

Sharpay glared at me reproachfully as she packed Matthew and Dylan into their carseats. I opened the passenger door and got in. "Well…"

She grumbled at the straps on the seat. "Well, what? Tell him, Gabi! I think he'd want to know! He's sort of involved!"

Matthew suddenly kicked out. "Mama, too tight!"

"Oh, sorry, baby." She kissed him on the forehead and loosened the straps slightly. "It's just your Aunt Gabriella is making Mommy so mad."

"So mad!" shouted Dylan, and I cringed. "I just can't tell him, Sharpay!" I said. "It's… complicated."

"How complicated can it be?" She got into the driver's side and started the car, pulling away from the curb. "'Hey, Troy. I might be having a baby.' Sounds pretty easy to me."

"It's not that simple," I said.

"Yes it _is_," she said. "Look, you had all these problems last time when you weren't talking. So _talk! _It's not something you should be hiding anyway. It's stupid to go through all of this by yourself."

"Stupid!" shouted Dylan, making Matthew laugh. Sharpay braked for a traffic light and shot them both a stern look.

"No, it's just…" I sighed and told her what Dean had said. "I can't tell him now. Whether he wants to or not, it could affect how he does at work. And work's really important to him. You know that."

"Well." She paused, tapping her nails on the steering wheel. "You're important to him too." She looked at me. "I think you should tell him as soon as you can, Gabi."

"I was going to tell him after the appointment today. After I finally find out."

"You'd better." She tapped her nails again, staring at the road ahead.

--------------------------------------------

After the examination, Dr Garber swung the curtain around the table as I put my clothes back on. "Your family doesn't have a history of ovarian cancer, do they?" she called out.

"No," I said, zipping up my jeans and putting on my shoes. "I don't think so, anyway." Pulling the curtain back, I looked at her. "I think we're all just fine. Everybody in my family seems healthy as an ox."

"That's great." She typed the information into her computer, her brown curls bouncing. "Ovarian cancer's just one of other things that could cause increased HCG. There's not really any consistent symptoms for it, so I just have to be more suspicious about your exam if your family has a history." She flashed me a grin. "And your exam looked fine, so you're probably perfect."

"Or… pregnant."

She laughed again. "Well, for some people that is perfect. But when we get your bloodwork back in a few days, we'll know for sure."

_What?_ "A few days?"

She waved a hand. "Yes. The lab does it. Someone'll give you a call when we have the results."

_Oh… you have got to be kidding me. _"I didn't realize." I could hear the disappointment in my voice. "I just wanted to know as soon as possible."

"Well…" She looked at me, and then suddenly grabbed a form. "Okay. Maybe I'll put a rush on this, so you'll find out a bit sooner." She made an anguished face. "But it'll still be up to them to call. No guarantees when that might be, just maybe a little bit earlier."

She paused. "But listen, Gabi. The blood test is pretty definitive. So even with that suit reading… you'll know for sure now. You'll just have to wait a little longer."

"Okay." I sighed. I'd have to avoid Sharpay for a while: telling Troy would have to wait just a bit longer. "Thanks for everything, Dr Garber."

--------------------------------------------

Traffic back to the office was unusually busy. I scrambled into work forty-five minutes late, hoping to sneak in and pretend I hadn't been late at all. But coming out of the elevator, I saw one of the admin assistants look up and smile directly at me. "Hey, Gabi!"

"Hi," I said, slightly uncertain. She was a dippy blonde who'd never been this friendly to me before. "It's great news, honey," I heard her call out as I walked away.

_Great news? _Still walking, I looked back at her strangely. What did I miss at the morning meeting? Wait—did that issue I coordinated pick up an award? I'd packaged it up and sent it out for consideration almost a month ago. Maybe we'd finally heard back.

The excitement rose higher and higher as I headed for my desk. More people were stopping to smile and nod at me already. Chandra from accounting even called out "Congratulations!" I grinned, nodding back in thanks. Getting to my cubicle, there was even a wrapped gift waiting on my chair. Wow—this was bigger than I thought.

Excitedly, I tore the gift open while picking up the phone to dial Troy: I wanted to tell him just as I found out, so he could cheer with me when I knew exactly what it was.

He picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"

But I had suddenly lost my voice.

Inside the package was a soft yellow duck toy, and a small ceramic rattle. And the brightly colored card on top read _Congratulations, mom-to-be!_

"Hello?" Troy's voice sounded faint. "Who's there?"

And without saying a word, I hung up.


	8. The Results: Part II

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

**Author's Note:** WAIT! If you've come here from an FF alert, I'd like to point out that this is the SECOND part of chapter 7. Both parts were published simultaneously, so just make sure you've read the first part before you start on to this one!

_Written December 2, 2006_

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**Chapter 7 – The Results**

**Part II**

Suddenly, all I could hear was my heartbeat in my ears. How did they know I was pregnant? I didn't even know if I was pregnant. Wait—_did_ they know if I was pregnant or not? Oh God… what the hell was going on?

Frantic, I started to get up from my desk, when suddenly the phone rang. I grabbed it without thinking. "Hello?"

"Hi, Gabi!" It was Mom, sounding more lively than usual. "Oh, I'm so happy, honey!"

_This is not happening._

"So happy about what?" I said faintly.

"About the baby, Gabi." She laughed. "Of course. I cannot believe I'm going to be a grandmother already, at my age."

_Oh, my God._

"Mom," I choked out. "How did you... find out?"

"Oh, Gabriella." She made a cheerful exasperated noise. "Your magazine. We got it in the mail today. And I would have missed it entirely if Gary hadn't been reading it carefully."

"My, uh, magazine?"

"Gabi!" She sounded actually exasperated now. "The article. You were wearing a suit. It's in the middle. You…"

But I couldn't hear the rest of it. Dropping the phone, I stumbled out of my cubicle, and blindly grabbed the magazine from someone else's desk. Flipping through it, my eyes fell on the picture of myself in the silver suit, and the small blurb at the bottom.

_SECOND SKIN_

_The army doesn't wear green anymore. Today's soldiers are suiting up in skintight silver. And though they might look kind of like figure skating outfits, Ballard Sciences' new military armor protects troops from flash fires, chemical attacks, and even minor combat impacts. Bleeding-edge physical sensors also mean the military can monitor even the slightest health changes in any of its soldiers on the field. It seems to work: while shooting these pictures, the suit noticed that our Poptech staffer was pregnant (congratulations, Gabi!)._

I swayed there for a minute, and suddenly felt a hand touch my arm. A voice asked if I was okay.

"I'm fine," I blurted out. "Just fine."

And I turned to go back to my desk, but found myself falling instead. Then all of a sudden, everything went dark.

-------------------------------------

"Gabi?"

I could hear my name being called. I opened my eyes and realized I was lying on the floor near my cubicle. Blinking, Sophie Morgenthal's face suddenly floated into view. She said my name again, gently. "Gabi? It's Sophie. I think you fainted."

_Oh, God._ I could see a few other people gathered behind her. I felt my cheeks go red and shifted up onto one elbow. "I guess so. Crap." I rubbed my eyes, letting out a breath.

Her voice sounded concerned. "Is it the baby?"

"The baby?" I felt my stomach drop. "No. I mean, I don't know. I don't know if I'm pregnant. I guess I just had… a shock." I looked at her, realizing. "Sophie, why did you write that I was pregnant in your article?"

She looked confused. "Because the suit said you were."

"But it was just high HCG levels. It didn't mean I was for sure. It could have been false."

Sophie turned red. "But… I don't know. I was talking to Anna that day… I just thought that you were."

"What?"

"Well…" She was starting to babble. "Well, you were freaking out, and you weren't hearing anything I was saying, and so Anna came, and I said I didn't mean to make you so upset, and was there anything I could do, and she said no, that you were okay, and I said are you sure, and she said, that she was sure you were very happy about this, and that you just needed some time to adjust, and I shouldn't worry about anything. So I thought… writing congratulations might be nice for you."

Holy cow. She got hysterical faster than I did. Her lip was already trembling. "It was nice," I said, letting out a breath. "And I know you meant well. I think… it was just bad timing."

I couldn't blame her for thinking that, anyhow. At the point she had left us, I'd still thought I was pregnant. I'd only started to doubt it once Sharpay had given that speech in the drugstore.

But Sophie was looking at me again, her eyes starting to fill with tears. "And what did you mean… about bad timing?"

"Oh." I waved a hand. "My mom just called and…"

_My mom._

"Oh, shit," I said, shooting to my feet. "Sophie… I'm sorry. I've got to go."

-------------------------------------

"Mom?"

"Hello, Gabi." Her voice was tight. "That was very rude, you know. I was still talking for a good five minutes before I realized you weren't there."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I… had an emergency."

But she hadn't finished. "And you know," she said. "I was even thinking that it was kind of rude, finding out about your baby in a magazine. At first I thought it was just you—you always did things a little differently from other kids—but now, it just seems wrong. You should have called me. I'm your mother. You should have let me know yourself."

I let out a breath. "But I would have, Mom! It's just… I don't actually know if I'm pregnant or not."

"What?"

I told her what Sharpay had said. "Well," she said, sounding more contrite. "So what do I tell people?"

"Just tell them that it was a mistake, and I don't know," I said. "How many people read Poptech that you know anyway?"

"Not that many," she said. Then she paused. "But you know, I think the Boltons get it. Joanne was talking to me about it the last time we saw her at the supermarket. She was very impressed with your work."

My stomach suddenly twisted. _The Boltons_. What if they found out? What if they told Troy before I did? Wait—what if _anybody_ told him before I did? Oh shit. Sharpay was right: I shouldn't have waited. I couldn't wait now. I had to get out of here.

Hurriedly, I started packing my bag. "Uh… Mom," I said, cringing at what I was about to ask. "Could you do me a favor, and give them a call? Tell them not to read it yet? It'll just be easier."

"What? Why do you need me to call?"

_Because I'm a giant chicken. _"Because… you're there? Because… it's easier?" I sighed and let it out. "Because… Troy doesn't know I'm even possibly pregnant yet, and I don't want them to call. And…"

"And you're nervous about calling them." Mom knew me too well. "Okay, honey. Sure."

"Thanks, Mom. Love you."

I hung up and started dialing for a cab, when suddenly my other line rang. "Hello?"

It was Mom again. "Gabi," she said. "Should I tell them that you're maybe not pregnant, or do you not want them to know that at all?"

"No. I mean, maybe. If it comes up." My head suddenly hurt. "Tell them whatever you want, Mom. I'm sure it doesn't matter. Just… make sure they don't look at it until I tell him."

"Well, then maybe I should go over to their place, try to get the magazine itself," she mused out loud. "Maybe I should…"

"Mom!" I half-shouted. "I have to go. Please. Okay. I have to go tell him now."

"Okay, okay baby. Love you. Take care. I'll talk to you soon."

Hanging up, I dialed furiously for the cab … when the other line rang again.

"Mom!" This time I was actually shouting. "Look, don't steal the magazine! I just don't know if I'm pregnant. Just call and tell them that. That's easiest."

But my stomach dropped. A laugh that was definitely not Mom's was suddenly coming through the phone.

"Well, I'm not your mom," a woman's voice said. "And I don't know anything about stealing magazines. But if this is Gabriella Montez, I do know if you're pregnant or not. I'm calling from DMS Labs to let you know the results of your bloodwork today."

_Oh, my God._

"Yes?" I whispered.

"I hope this is good news," she said. "Because you most definitely are pregnant."

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**Author's Note**: Yay! We finally know! And thanks to each and every one of you for your absolutely lovely reviews thus far. I don't even know what to say: it's so great to have intelligent readers who give truly inspiring comments after each chapter. You truly make me love continuing these stories so much :)


	9. The Explanation

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

_Written December 6, 2006_

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**Chapter 8 – The Explanation**

And suddenly I felt a rush of tears. A strange, warm glow seemed to be expanding inside me, spreading from the pit of my stomach to the tips of my fingers. Brushing at my eyes with shaking hands, I croaked into the receiver. "Are you sure?" I asked. "Are you sure?"

The woman's voice was kind. "I'm positive, Ms. Montez," she said. "Absolutely."

And I prayed that I had said thank you and goodbye, because suddenly I had put the phone down and was off down the stairs, calling a cab to get me on the way to Troy.

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Outside on the sidewalk, I dialed Troy while I waited for the taxi to arrive.

"Troy, it's me." Even I could hear that my voice sounded nervous. "Are you at home? I need to talk to you."

"Hey." He sounded distracted. "No, I'm at the grocery store. I'll be home later." Suddenly he paused. "Wait—what's going on? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said. "I… just need to talk to you."

"So," he said. "I'm here. Talk."

"Not over the phone." I let out a breath. "I need to talk to you in person."

"Oh." He sounded slightly surprised. "Okay."

"Okay. Just go home as soon as you can. And this is going to sound weird… but try not to talk to anyone. And don't answer your phone until then."

"Don't talk to anyone? Gabi…"

The cab was pulling up to the curb. I bit my lip. "Just don't. I'll explain later. See you in a bit."

---------------------------------------

The cab ride seemed to take forever. When we finally made it to the apartment building, I threw down two twenties and burst out, running as fast as I could for the front door. I fumbled with my keys to get it open, then tackled the apartment door. But for all my panic, the apartment was totally empty.

Dropping my bag, I sank into a chair in the living room, breathing hard. And then my heart jumped as the lock turned, and Troy came through the door.

"Hi," I said, softly, feeling suddenly frozen to the chair.

"Hi," he said, letting out a breath. He lifted his heavy grocery bags onto the counter, then turned around and looked at me, as if searching my face for something.

I started to speak. "I—"

But suddenly, he waved a hand, cutting me off. "Um, no. Wait. Just wait."

"But—"

"No, wait. Just listen for a second." He rubbed a hand over his eyes, and then leaned against the counter. "Just listen. Before you say anything… I've got something I want to say."

I nodded numbly, clamping my mouth shut. Folding his arms, he shook his head and leaned against the counter. "You sure know how to make a guy worry. Don't talk to anyone. Don't answer your phone." He let out a dry laugh. "Well, I didn't. But Gabi—I think you know that was really, really weird. And I know you're going to tell me what's up in a minute, but I just want to make something clear now. That if there's anything up with you, ever, I want to know about it sooner rather than later. I just do."

A cold, nervous feeling was starting to build along my spine. He kept talking, staring at the floor in front of him. "Because I don't know what it is, but ever since I've gotten back, you've been acting pretty strange."

He looked at me, a tense expression on his face. "I'm not dumb, Gabi. I know when something's up with you. And it's seriously scary when all I see is you ducking me all the time. It's scary when suddenly you're having some secret talk with Sharpay in our bathroom. It's scary when…" He started to turn red, rubbing the back of his neck. "When our neighbor says she saw some guy leaving here the morning I got back. When someone from work bumps into you in the… _condom_ aisle at the drugstore. And when you call and hang up on me in the middle of the day."

_No. God, no. No, no, no, no, no._

A wave of sick horror settled over me at the look of guarded hurt on his face. Suddenly I was crying out, my body ice-cold. "No, Troy, you…"

He was still looking at the floor. "You know," he said quietly. "I just found out it was bad luck to see the wedding dress before the wedding." He gave a soft scoff. "And I'm not a superstitious guy, but…"

I hugged my arms tight around my body and cut him off. "No. Stop it. Troy. Listen. You have to listen to me now. Don't say anything. Whatever you're thinking… none of it is true."

And I felt his stare on me as I struggled to stop shaking, to somehow make my words run together and fix what I had done. "There's no other guy. There could never be another guy. There's only you in my life. And there only ever will be." Cold tears started to slide down my face. "The only person who came by that morning was Zeke, and he just dropped off some pastries. And I don't know who saw him, but that was it."

"And the condom aisle…" I shook my head vehemently, wiping at my tears with trembling fingers.. "That must have been Dean. And it was just an accident that we were standing there. I just turned the corner and ran into him. And that day, that was the day it happened. I was going to tell you everything that night. But Dean just started talking, telling me how girl trouble ruins you at work… and I knew your business trip meant so much. I didn't want my situation to ruin anything for you." I hung my head down, covering my face with my hands. "Even though it looks like I ruined everything anyway."

"Because I found out that weekend, and I got scared, and Sharpay, in the bathroom… she was just trying to help out… and… then the magazine…"

And my mind was suddenly blurring, dipping out of focus, floating adrift. And before I dissolved completely, I opened my mouth and let it out.

"I'm pregnant," I said, tears sliding down my face. "I found out this afternoon. I couldn't tell you before… but I'm having your baby. Our baby. I'm pregnant."

And I tried to look, but couldn't see Troy through my tears. Shakily, I took a huge breath of air, trying to calm down—and promptly started crying again. Waves of sorrow and shame began to crash over me, rising in a crescendo until I could hardly stand to be myself anymore. Folding in half, I hugged my head to my knees and tried to become as small as possible.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I cried. I had no idea whether he could understand me—I could hardly understand myself. "I'm sorry for everything. For not telling you. For not being more careful. For making you worry. I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry."

But apart from my sobs, I could hear nothing but silence. And I felt so cold, colder than I had ever been before, as though my core was built of pure ice.

And then suddenly, I felt a warm hand touch my head. And lifting my eyes, I saw Troy crouched in front of me, his blue eyes watching me softly. He took both my hands in his and looked at them for a moment. And then he kissed the back of each one, and then lifted them around his neck. Then, putting his arms around me, he brought me to my feet, folding me in his embrace.

And wrapped in his arms, relief flooded through me as I sobbed against his chest. He tightened his hold around me, rocking me slightly from side to side, and whispered in my ear. "It's okay, Gabi," he said, kissing my forehead. "It's okay. Everything's going to be all right."

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When the tears finally started to dry up, I leaned my head against his chest and whispered to him.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I should have told you everything earlier."

"It's okay," he said. "I know you meant well. I'm going to have to kill that stupid girl trouble thing once and for all though."

"It's not true?"

"No." He let out a sheepish laugh. "Well, the first incident was. But I learned. I haven't let anything distract me since."

"What about six months ago?" I said. "Dean said there was a problem with a community complaint. And six months ago… you know we fought."

"Well," he said. "Impressively enough, I screwed that up all by myself, without any help from you." I felt him stroke my hair. "But Gabi—I'm sorry too. For… everything I said. I was totally out of line."

"Well… it's okay." I said. "I know you were thrown."

"I'm still sorry."

"Well… I said it was okay." I held him closer to me, pressing my face into the solid warmth of his body. "Troy… I'm having a baby."

"I know." His arms tightened around me a little more. "I know."

"That weekend… I put on this military suit at Poptech, and the sensors said I was pregnant. And then I got the doctor to confirm today. So… it's true."

He kissed my head again. "Okay."

"I thought you would be more excited."

His laughter vibrated warmly through my body. "Well, I thought you would be less excited."

"Well… I don't know." I buried my face in the crook of his neck. "You know how I said I wanted kids later rather than sooner?"

"Yes."

"I think I've changed my mind."

"Oh." I felt him kiss the top of my head again, and for a second, he squeezed me just a little tighter. "All right, then."

And the two of us held onto the other as a warm silence descended. And suddenly the glow I had felt earlier was back. I kissed him softly on his shoulder, thinking how wonderful he was, and how lovely his child would be. And as he stroked my back, I knew he was thinking the same thing about me. "Hey, you're going to be a mom," I felt him whisper into my ear, his voice filled with wonder.

"And you're going to be a dad," I whispered back.

He laughed quietly. "I love you, Gabi."

Stretching up, I kissed him gently on the mouth. "I love you too," I said.

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**Author's Note**:

So, we're almost done this story actually. I think there shall be two or three more chapters and then it's done. Usually it would be just one more, but I kind of want to write a bit of pregnancy fluff before all is said and done :) So sue me!

Also, I must thank you again for all your wonderful reviews. Really, it means so much when I hear from you about what I've written. And of course, this chapter is no exception: I'd love to hear what you thought!


	10. The Phone Calls

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

_Written December 7, 2006_

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**Chapter 9 – The Phone Calls**

Lying on the bed together, I cuddled into Troy's side as he picked the cordless phone up off the nightstand. I'd told him about the article in Poptech, and we'd decided to call as many close friends and relatives as we could… before they called us.

He dialed his parents' number in Albuquerque and raised his eyebrows at me playfully. I turned over and rested my head on his stomach, shooting a teasing look back.

"It's ringing," he whispered, grinning.

"Oooh," I said, rolling my eyes cheerfully. "I hope you're caller number nine."

He grimaced suddenly. "I hope I'm not the ninth person to call—oh, hi Mom."

I grinned as his face turned serious. He was always really polite when he talked to his parents—which was always really cute. Letting him talk, I saw the little bunny on the bedside table and picked it up, making it walk up his stomach and over his chest. He shook his head and smiled at me, putting a gentle hand over the stuffed animal while he kept up the conversation with his mother.

"Yeah, Mom, I'm doing well," he said. "No, nothing's wrong. Just got back from Seattle on business, but that was a couple days ago. No, I just called to say hi, see how you are. Is Dad there?" A mischievous look flashed across his face. "Oh that's great. Get him to pick up the extension, would you? Gabi's got something to tell you. Here."

I rolled back suddenly, but he had already pushed the phone into my hand. I covered the receiver and hissed at him. "Troy…."

He gave me a mock stern look, hugging me around the waist and resting his head on my stomach. "Gabriella, it's rude to keep people waiting."

"You should tell them…" But Joanne was talking through the phone already. Sighing, I put the receiver to my ear. "Hi, Joanne."

"Hello Gabriella!" Her voice was cheerful but direct. "Troy tells me you have something to tell us, dear. What is it?"

"Well…" I looked at Troy and he grinned back at me. Smiling, I ruffled my fingers through his hair. "Well… I went to the doctor today. And… I found out that I'm going to have a baby."

I heard two sharp intakes of breath on the other end of the phone. "You mean…"

"Yeah." I let out a laugh, and felt Troy kiss my stomach. "You're going to be grandparents, guys."

"Oh my God. Oh my God!" Joanne shouted, and I heard Jack laugh. "My God. That is absolutely wonderful, Gabriella," he said. "Congratulations. To the both of you."

"Thanks, Jack. We're really excited." I smiled at Troy. "I should probably let you speak to your son though. I think you've all got a lot to talk about."

I pushed the phone back into Troy's hand and he answered, still pressed firmly against my body. "Hi Mom, Dad." He laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, it is kind of a surprise. But it's good. I'm happy. We're both happy." He ran his fingers along my stomach absently, then kissed it again. "Yeah. I know. We haven't really decided about the wedding yet…. Oh okay. Hang on."

He put his hand over the receiver and shot me a look of confusion. "Gabi, your mom just showed up at the door. Do you…?"

_Oh, dear sweet Lord. _I let out a breath. "Yeah. Tell them to put her on."

He handed me the phone and I heard my mom's familiar voice. "Gabi? Is that you? What a coincidence!" Her voice dropped. "I didn't spot the magazine in the mailbox, so I rang the doorbell. I'm still looking around."

"It's okay, Mom," I said. "You can drop the covert ops now. We told them already."

"Oh, you did?"

"Yeah. I found out for sure today." Suddenly I couldn't stop smiling. "I'm pregnant, Mom. You're going to be a grandma."

There was a stunned silence. "I am?" she finally squeaked out.

"You are."

And then suddenly, she burst into tears.

"Gabi, I'm so happy. Baby, you are the light of my life and I know this baby is going to be the light of yours. Oh… and you and Troy are going to have the most beautiful baby, Gabi… I can't wait to meet him or her and spoil them like crazy…"

And then she started to bawl and I couldn't understand anything she was saying. I gave Troy a bewildered look, then suddenly heard Joanne come onto the line. "Gabi, hi. It's Joanne. I think… we're going to settle your mother down then call you right back. Okay?"

"Okay," I said. "Tell her I love her. I'll talk to you soon."

"Sure thing, sweetie. It'll be just a minute."

I put the phone down and Troy looked at me in shock. "What—"

"They're going to call us back. I just told Mom, and she started crying." I shrugged. "She started talking about how happy she was, and how our baby was going to be so beautiful, and then I couldn't understand her at all. Your mom said they'd 'settle her down.'"

"Oh." He laughed softly, his cheek on my stomach still. "Your mom. She's funny."

"Yeah." I rolled my eyes. "I know."

"She's right about one thing, though." He moved up so his face was next to mine, wrapping me up into a real hug. "Your baby is going to be beautiful."

I laughed, blushing suddenly. "It's your baby too."

"It's our baby," he said, kissing me gently on the mouth. "Ours."

Then he looked at me with those blue eyes for a moment, and I could see they were shining softly. And then suddenly, I felt him start to kiss down my neck, tracing a path to my collarbone in the deep V of my sweater. "I love you," he said quietly, resting his head against my heart. "I love you so much, Gabi. I don't even know how to show the half of it."

He hugged my waist tightly, and I swallowed the tears suddenly rising in the back of my throat. "I love you too, Troy," I said, touching his head again, curling my fingers into his hair. "I really do."

He kissed my heart, pressing close. "I'm lucky," he said softly. "I really mean it. I love that I get to have a baby with you. I love that my child is going to be your child too."

And then I couldn't stop the tears sliding down my face.

But he moved up beside me and wiped the tears away with his hand. And then he leaned in and kissed me, long and sweet. Smiling, I sniffled slightly as we broke apart. "I love you," I whispered to him. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

And he smiled and kissed me again, pulling me fiercely to him, his hands holding tight to the small of my back. And I closed my eyes, letting my hands wander under his shirt, feeling the firm warmth of his skin beneath my fingers. _Troy_.

And then suddenly he broke the kiss, breathing hard.

"Gabi… with the baby… can we still…"

"Yes," I said, and kissed him again. It had been so long since the last time, I could hardly stand to wait anymore.

I could feel him laugh against my mouth, and he broke the kiss off again. "It's okay?"

"Uh huh," I said, kissing his cheek. "There was a pamphlet I got... it said it was fine. It's even good for me if we do."

He nodded. "Okay," he said, kissing me again, his voice serious. "We should probably do it twice then. Just for your health."

His hands slid down my sides, setting sparks off wherever they touched.

"Okay," I said faintly, "Okay."

The phone rang again, but we didn't pick up.

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**Author's Note:** Fluff! Fluff is so much more fun to write. Well, let's see how many more chapters I can squeeze out of this…


	11. The Surprise

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

**Author's Note**: Hope you all enjoyed the intense fluff of the previous chapter! Now if I were a different type of author, this would be the chapter in which Troy gets hit by a bus and Gabi is forced to sorrowfully raise her child without her soulmate… but luckily, I'm not that kind of girl :)

_Written December 9, 2006_

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**Chapter 10 – The Surprise**

When someone knocked at the front door, it took me five minutes to struggle off the couch and answer it. Puffing slightly, I swung the door open to find Taylor standing in the hallway.

"I can't believe it," she said, staring at me as though I were an alien. "You are actually glowing."

"Taylor!" I laughed and hugged her as best as I could over my growing stomach. "What are you doing here?"

"Just here to see this pregnant lady I know," she said, walking past me with a small rolling suitcase behind her. "You were supposed to get married right about now, so I'd booked a flight to come do the bachelorette party this weekend." She grinned and sat down on the couch. "But since you're six months pregnant and there won't be a wedding for a year… we're having a baby shower instead."

I stared at her. "What? Here?"

She leaned back and kicked her shoes off. "Oh, it's all Sharpay's doing. Why do you think you're not busy on a Saturday for once? Just act surprised when she shows up with the cake."

Suddenly the doorbell rang. "That must be her," said Taylor. And opening the door, Sharpay was indeed there, a huge grin on her face and a giant bakery box in her arms.

"Hi, mom!" she trilled. "Surprise! We're throwing you a baby shower today!"

"Oh… wonderful!" I said, quickly plastering on a smile. "That's so lovely!"

Her face dropped immediately. Brushing past me, she shot a glare over to Taylor sitting on the couch. "You told her, didn't you?"

"Yes," said Taylor, rubbing her head and leaning back on the sofa.

Sharpay put the cake down on the counter loudly. "Well, where is the fun in that?"

"Oh, come off it," said Taylor. "It's a baby shower. Surprised or not, she's going to enjoy the whole thing."

Sharpay looked like she was about to retort, when I jumped in. "No, Sharpay, she's right. A shower's a wonderful idea and I love it. Come help me pick something out to wear before everybody arrives." I shot Taylor a look. "Both of you."

"Okay," Sharpay said grudgingly, but softened once the both of them started fussing over me. I had a vast selection of somewhat stylish maternity dresses, thanks in no small part to care packages from my mom and Troy's mom. We settled on a white eyelet dress that didn't make me look too monstrously huge.

And then suddenly the doorbell rang again, and the guests started to arrive. I couldn't believe how many people Sharpay had coaxed into coming. Anna and Sophie were of course there, but so were most of the other women from work… as well as Wendy and Lin from Troy's work, and a couple of ladies from my Lamaze and yoga classes. Our apartment was soon bustling, and Sharpay managed to conjure delicious snacks and drinks up for everyone.

Taylor leaned over to me. "Wow. When Sharpay throws a party, she really throws a party."

I laughed and squeezed her arm. "Just be glad she's with us instead of against us."

She put her arm around my waist. "Oh, I know," she said with a laugh. "God, it's good to see you again, Gabi."

I leaned my head on her shoulder. "You too."

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Then, after opening what seemed like a million gifts, and playing a million strange baby-related games ('guess the circumference of Gabi's waist' was possibly the weirdest), just a few stray guests were left in the apartment. Actually, it was just Sharpay and Taylor, who insisted I sit while they cleaned up the remains of the party.

"That baby blanket you got was beautiful," cooed Sharpay as she swept under the couch for crumbs. "And I made sure everybody got a neutral color, since you two don't know what the baby's going to be yet."

"You don't?" Cleaning the counters, Taylor perked her ears up.

"No," I said wearily, curling up into the corner of the couch. "We don't want to know until the baby's born."

Taylor frowned, scrubbing hard at a tough spot. "Why not?"

"Because… I don't know. We like surprises, or something." Or at least Troy did. I sat back in my seat and closed my eyes.

"Speaking of Troy…" Sharpay pointed out the window. Troy was coming up the walk. "Looks like he arrived just in time." She dusted off her hands. "We'll be out of here in a minute. Then you can have some time to rest."

"Thanks, Sharpay," I said. "Really. It was lovely."

Taylor looked at Sharpay quizzically. "I'm still staying at your place, right?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Of course."

We heard the lock click at the door, and Troy came into the apartment. "Hi ladies," he said, doing a double take when he saw Taylor. "Taylor, wow! Long time no see."

"Hi Troy, we're just on our way out," said Sharpay, grabbing her bag off the couch. She kissed me on the cheek. "Okay then," she said. "We will see you both for brunch tomorrow, before Taylor has to go back home."

I nodded, and Taylor hugged me as well. "You're going to be such a great mom, Gabi. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She hugged Troy on her way out. "And you're not going to be so bad yourself. Just don't turn your baby into one of those lunkhead basketball players."

He laughed and kissed her cheek. And then suddenly, we were alone. He came to sit on the sofa and kissed me, pulling my legs into his lap. "Hi," he said, grinning.

"Hey," I said, grinning back. "We completely cleaned up at this shower thing. Everybody brought us something super expensive for the baby. We should totally have them more often."

He laughed and rubbed my leg. "Well, as long as Sharpay doesn't mind hauling people in week after week. You know she'd been planning this for a while."

"Wait." I poked him with my toes. "So you knew about all this shower stuff today?"

"Yeah, kind of," he said. I poked him again and he let out a sheepish laugh. "Of course. I was in on it from the start. I spent the afternoon with Zeke. Why do you think you got to spend Saturday alone for once?"

I blushed. "I don't know. Just thought I'd earned some quiet time. I was looking forward to finishing my book, actually."

It still sat on the coffee table. Troy picked it up and read the title. "_What to Expect When You're Expecting?_" He looked at me. "You're looking forward to finishing this? You know how it ends."

I laughed. "I guess." Then suddenly, I froze. Looking up at Troy sharply, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Troy…"

"What?" He leapt suddenly to attention. "What is it? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…" But trembling, I placed his hand on my stomach. "Can you feel it?"

"No…" His face seemed sick with worry. "Gabi, what is it?"

"It's moving." I felt it again—a tiny flutter, like the beating of butterfly's wings within me—and smiled. "She's moving, Troy. She's moving."

And suddenly there was a dead silence. Looking at him, I realized he was turning slightly red.

"Um…" he said slowly. "She?"

And then I was suddenly red too.

"She," I repeated guiltily.

He was staring at me, frozen. "Gabi," he said stiffly. "Are you just making all of that up, or is it…"

"I..." My cheeks were so warm. "I heard the doctor talking to the nurse after the ultrasound last week," I mumbled. "I'm sorry. I knew you didn't want to know."

He took a deep breath. "Oh, Gabi."

_Shit._

And then suddenly, he let his breath out and wrapped his arms around me.

"We're having a girl," he whispered, unable to keep the grin off his face. "A baby girl."

I smiled back, relieved. "Yeah," I said, putting my arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. "A little girl. It's wonderful."

"It is." He kissed me, then sat up a little. "I hope she looks just like her mom."

"And shoots hoops just like her dad."

He laughed. "Well… of course."

"But," I said, "you'd better _not_ turn her into one of those lunkhead basketball types."

"Who, me?" He grinned mischievously and I pushed the back of his head. "Okay, okay. I guess I've been warned twice."

"Or there'll be hell to pay," I said, lifting his hand and kissing it.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "But wait. I bet being a freaky math girl is okay, right?"

I grinned. "Uh huh."

"Total double standard." He rolled his eyes. "And what am I going to do when there's two of you around?"

"Aww, my silly basketball boy." Smiling, I pulled him close and kissed him sweetly. "You're just going to have to deal."

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**Author's Note**: Man, I could fire this fluff off forever. And I must send out a thanks for all the reviews thus far—I've sort of neglected to mention it in the past couple of chapters, but it is again wonderful to read your long and lovely reviews on this story. And just 16 for the last chapter! Surely we can top that :)


	12. The Date Night

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

**Author's Note**: Okay, now will I kill off Troy in some tragic car accident? Oh, if only I could be that cruel :)

_Written December 10, 2006_

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**Chapter 11 – The Date Night**

In the middle of my eighth month, Troy came by my office to pick me up for our "date night" after work. Once a week, we'd walk to a nice restaurant in the neighborhood, then rent a movie or go on idle shopping trips—something to enjoy our time as a couple before the baby arrived. Usually when Troy came by, I'd have my bag packed and ready to go as soon as he arrived. But this time, I sat at my desk, my hands pressed against my stomach, tears rolling down my face.

"Gabi?" Suddenly I heard his voice, and Troy was kneeling beside me. He grabbed one of my hands and put the other around my shoulders, kissing me on the cheek. "Baby, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

My breath felt so short. I clutched at his hand and tried to speak. "I can't…" I choked out. "I can't feel the baby. She hasn't moved all day, Troy."

And then turning, I reached for him and burst into frantic tears. He wrapped his arms around me, letting me sob against his shoulder. "Shhh," he said stroking my hair. "It's okay, Gabi. It's going to be okay."

"I'm just…" I hiccupped out. "I'm just scared that…"

But he cut me off. "Hey," he said, squeezing me tight. "Don't panic, okay? I'm sure everything is just fine." He pulled back and kissed me quickly. "Okay. What do you want me to do? Do you want me to take you to the doctor?"

I nodded tearfully, keeping my arms around his neck. Somehow, being connected to the warmth of his body made me feel calmer. "Uh huh," I said… and then suddenly shook my head. "But… maybe not. I don't know… I can't tell… maybe I'm overreacting." I started to cry again, tears pouring down my face. "But she's not moving, Troy. I haven't felt her move since last night."

I buried my face in his shoulder, and he let out a breath, stroking my hair again. "Then… okay," he said. "How about this. I'll call Dr. Garber, and make an appointment for tomorrow. And we'll just take it easy, wait it out tonight, and see if everything goes back to normal."

He pulled back and looked at me, his eyes filled with concern. I took a shaky breath and nodded, blinking back my tears. "Okay."

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He took me home and made me dinner, keeping up a cheerful patter of conversation to distract us from the situation at hand. Settling on the couch, I focused on his cooking and tried to ignore the worry in my head. He'd pulled out some pork chops and thawed them, but now he stared at them intently, spice bottles at the ready, considering what to add next.

"Quit staring at them like that," I blurted out playfully. "If you bond with them, they're only going to be harder to cook."

He looked over at me sharply, starting to season the pork chops. "Look. You have one job to do: sit there and be pregnant. Nowhere does that include sassing the chef."

I couldn't help smiling. "I've expanded the job description."

He laughed. "Fine. But just for that, you're only getting half as many spices on yours," he said. "And I'm only going to half cook it, and then I'm going to drop it on the floor."

"You wouldn't," I said, grinning.

"I would," he said, smiling and heating up the frying pan. "You're crotchety. You could do with a side order of hair and dust on your pork chop. And anyway, what are you going to do about it? Get up and chase me? I'd be out the door before you were off the couch."

"Hey!" I yelped in mock-hurt. "Well, fine. Run. I'll have the locks changed. And I'll eat the good pork chop while you're gone."

He laughed again, harder this time. "Oh, crap. Guess I'll have to ruin both of these then." Pointing his spatula at me, he shook it purposefully. "Mark my words, Montez. You will not eat well tonight. No matter what I have to suffer through."

I laughed, feeling suddenly better, and settled back onto the sofa. And then suddenly… I felt a small kick up near my ribs.

Glancing up immediately at Troy, I felt tears of relief spring to my eyes. "Troy," I called in a trembling voice, feeling another little kick in my stomach. "It's okay. She's moving again. I can feel her."

"What?" He put the spatula down and came quickly over to me. Smiling, I sniffled back my tears and held his hands to the top of my stomach. I watched him as he stared at our hands, raw concern suddenly obvious in his eyes. And then I laughed suddenly as we both felt our baby kick again. _Hello_.

He looked up at me, his blue eyes filled with excitement, then leaned forward to kiss me softly. "See," he said. "I told you it was going to be okay. She's a strong girl. She takes after her mom."

I blushed and nodded, and he kissed my forehead. "Okay," he said, getting up. "Now you keep being pregnant there. I've got a dinner to ruin."

And I smiled, keeping my hands pressed firmly to our daughter. Grinning, he headed back to the kitchen. His step seemed lighter this time.

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As usual, I went to bed early. In the past few weeks the baby had started to grow rapidly in size, and the extra weight made sleeping twice as hard. Getting a head start was the only way to ensure a decent night's rest… as well as the help of a million pillows cushioning almost every part of my body.

Lying on my side, I felt Troy climb in next to me. He kissed me softly on the shoulder and touched my stomach, then settled down on his side of the bed. I wished I could turn around to snuggle up closer to him, but my position was set and my legs and back felt too achy to move anyway.

I reached behind me and squeezed his hand, then tried my best to fall asleep. But through the next hour, I could feel him moving about, unable to settle down. Reaching behind me again, I touched his side. "Troy," I whispered. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," he said, moving close to kiss my shoulder again. He wrapped his arm gently around me. "Go to sleep. Don't worry about me."

But his heart seemed to be thrumming rapidly against my back. I put my hand over his. "Are you sure?" I asked again. "You just seem… a little jumpy."

He let out a breath, pressing his face to my shoulder for a moment. "Yeah," he breathed. "I'm just… a bit worried, that's all."

I leaned forward to snap on my light, and then struggled to turn and face him. "No, don't…" he protested, but I'd already spun around. I put my arm under my pillow to prop up my head and looked him right in the eye. "What's wrong?" I asked.

He looked at me for a minute, then rolled over on his back, letting out a breath. "It's stupid," he said, staring up at the ceiling. "And I'll get over it. You don't have to worry."

"If it's bothering you this much, I'm sure it's not dumb," I said. "Try me. Maybe it'll help."

"Well…" He let out another breath, then hid his eyes in the crook of his elbow. "Earlier today… when I found you crying at your desk like that… it was possibly the most scared I've been in a long time. Maybe ever."

I touched his side. "Really?"

"Yeah." His voice went slightly hoarse. "I don't know… it was just our baby, and you. And I had no idea whether you were both okay… and I couldn't do anything about it. It was totally out of my hands."

"But you did fine," I said quietly. "Maybe you were scared, but you were totally there for me. You made me feel better. And everything turned out okay."

"But what if it hadn't?" His voice was tight, and he kept his arm pressed to his eyes. "I didn't know what to do. I don't know if I could have handled it."

"But Troy… it didn't happen." I moved myself closer to kiss his shoulder. "You were great with me. And you don't need to worry yourself sick over what didn't actually occur." I laughed shortly. "That's sort of my job, anyway."

"I guess." He let out a sheepish laugh, and I felt him take my hand and kiss it. "Gabi… I just worry I'm not going to be good at all this father stuff."

"What are you talking about?" I moved even closer, putting my arm out to hug him to me. "You're going to be a great dad."

"Yeah," he said, letting out a bitter laugh this time. "Everybody says that. But it sure doesn't feel like it. I have no idea what I'm doing half the time. Just putting out all the fires as they come up."

I laughed. "Well, same here, buddy," I said. "Everybody keeps telling me I'm going to be a great mom. But I can hardly take care of myself sometimes. I have no idea how I'm going to possibly raise another person." I kissed his shoulder again. "I'm just going to give it my best. Put out those fires as fast as I can."

He spoke in a very small voice. "But I don't know anything about little girls."

I felt my heart melt. "Oh, sweetie…"

And he let me tug at his arm, lifting it off his eyes and turning to face me. I cupped his face in my hands, and his blue eyes met mine, open and vulnerable.

"What matters is that you love her," I said. "And I know you do. That's what makes me sure you're going to be a great dad." I smiled at him. "As for the rest of it… you'll figure it out. Girls aren't all that different. And you know I'll be there to help you every step of the way."

Then I pulled him close and kissed him. And when we broke apart, he put his forehead to mine, his eyes more calm. "Thanks," he whispered.

"Same to you," I said, smiling. "For everything."

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**Author's Note**: I'm really getting carried away with the fluff here! It's just so lovely to write and so much fun to make this Troy & Gabriella happy. But sadly, I'm fairly certain there will only be two more chapters after this, and then the fic is REALLY over.

Anyway, I love that you guys are enjoying these extended flufficles, even though they are probably warping the narrative of this story beyond repair. And thank you so much again to those leaving long and thoughtful reviews. You know I love reading them!


	13. The Name

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

_Written December 13, 2006_

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**Chapter 12 – The Name**

"How about Elizabeth?"

Rummaging through the hall closet for something, Troy let out a disdainful snort. Stretched out on the couch, I lifted my eyes from my baby name book and looked at him.

"What?" I asked. "Elizabeth's pretty."

"But you wanted Taylor to be the middle name," he said, pulling a box off the top shelf. "So… Elizabeth Taylor Bolton?"

"Sorry." I laughed, but secretly I felt kind of desperate. We were two weeks to my due date, and we still hadn't settled on a name. Frowning, I turned to the book again. "Well… maybe Taylor shouldn't be the middle name then. We could just go with Montez instead. And… Cheryl for the first name?"

"Cheryl? No."

"Charlotte."

"Spins webs. No."

"Cheyenne?"

"We are not naming our daughter after the capital of Wyoming."

"Fine," I said. "She won't have a name. We'll call her Baby Bolton for the rest of her life. And you get to tell her why."

I plunked the book down on my chest and suddenly felt my breasts start leaking milk. "Oh… my stupid boobs," I groaned, struggling for a Kleenex to soak up the liquid. My body had become so irritating. Erratic cramps had been flaring up in my abdomen all night—Dr. Garber said this might happen closer to the due date.

"Don't knock your boobs, Montez." Troy put the box back and closed the closet door. "I'm a big fan."

I shot him a dirty look and tossed the Kleenex on the coffee table. "You're just saying that because they're huge now." I'd shot up two cup sizes since I'd become pregnant.

"Really, that's just a bonus," he said, grinning mischievously and coming to sit beside me. "Regular or super sized, your boobs were always great."

I kicked him and he laughed, catching my legs and pulling them into his lap. "Okay, okay," he said, taking the book from me. "My turn. How about… Madison?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, if we want her to sound like a law firm. Madison Montez Bolton, can you hold the line please?" I shook my head. "No. I like the 'sh' sound in a name though. Try finding one with that."

"Ummm… Michelle."

I felt a cramp flare up and rubbed it with my hand. "Bad college roommate. No."

"Charmaine?"

"_Really _bad college prof. Try again."

"Uh…" He flipped through the book. "How about… Rachel? Or did she steal your organic chem labs from your dorm room?"

"No." But the name was echoing in my head. "Rachel," I said, trying it out. "Rachel Montez Bolton. Rachel Bolton."

"Rachel Bolton." He was nodding. "That's not bad. You can put that on the maybe list."

Another cramp flared up and I grimaced. Troy looked at me. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, waving him off. "It's just those Braxton-Hicks contractions Dr. Garber talked about. The fake ones."

"What's the difference? How do you know they're not real contractions?

I sighed. "Because they're not regularly spaced like contractions would be…"

But suddenly we both felt something warm and wet leak onto the couch. "Oh God," I said, my heart pounding. "Oh God. I think my water just broke."

Troy grabbed my hands, a frantic look on his face. "But you're not due for two weeks. I still haven't packed your overnight bag. I just got it out of the closet."

I clutched my stomach and tried to remember the Lamaze stuff. "I don't think Rachel cares," I said. "Just take a deep breath like I'm doing. Then can you give Dr. Garber a call? We should probably go to the hospital right away."

He breathed with me once, then his eyes suddenly met mine. "Gabi," he said, squeezing my hands. "This is really it."

His eyes danced with breathless anticipation. Kissing me on the cheek, he helped me up, and we were on our way.

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And then I was in the hospital, breathing and pushing and crying so hard. And I could feel Troy holding my hand, whispering how well I was doing and how much he loved me. And then I pushed with all my strength, pushing through the pain, for him, for me, for her. And then suddenly, another voice was crying… and she was finally here.

"She's healthy," Dr Garber said, coming to my side. "It's two weeks early, but she's just fine. Just perfect. Congratulations, mom and dad."

And I burst into tears as she lifted the baby on to my chest. "Hi, little girl," I whispered, reaching out to touch her face, her little hands. "Hi Rachel. Hi, sweetie." She blinked and moved, and in a flash I caught a glimpse of her eyes—so blue, like her father's.

And the tears came again as Troy kissed my forehead, his hand gingerly reaching to touch our daughter in my arms. "Rachel," he said, his voice filled with wonder. She kicked suddenly, and we both laughed. "I guess that is your name then," he said. "Hi Rachel. You're beautiful, just like your mom."

He tucked his chin onto my shoulder and for a moment, we both looked at our daughter in amazement. And then she blinked again widely, then she kicked her legs out and started bawling at the top of her lungs.

I squeezed Troy's hand and let out a short laugh. "Look, she hates us already," I said.

He laughed too, squeezing back. "Too bad," he said, kissing my shoulder. "Because we're going to love you forever, Rachel. And don't think you're going to stop us."

I looked over at him and smiled. "She'd better not even try."

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**Author's Note**: Yes dear friends, I know this one's short. I just couldn't really stretch it out any further without getting maudlin and repetitive. Anyway, thanks again for your lovely reviews! Now just one more chapter, and we're done!


	14. The Wedding

**Disclaimer:** It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the HSM characters or their related elements.

_Written December 14, 2006_

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**Chapter 13 – The Wedding**

And then I was standing just outside the chapel, clutching a bouquet of brightly coloured flowers, my heart pounding in my ears. Nine months after having Rachel, I was finally in enough shape to wear the beautiful dress I found so long ago… but even if I did look great, walking down the aisle in front of so many guests was enough to make me cut and run.

Suddenly Taylor was beside me. She looked gorgeous in her simple blue maid-of-honor's dress. "You okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," I said, looking at the floor.

"Sure," she said. "But if you hold your bouquet any tighter, I think you're going to snap it in half."

"Oh," I said, blushing and loosening my grip. "It's just…"

She raised her eyebrows. "The thought of so many people looking at you is freaking you out?"

I nodded sheepishly, and she laughed, putting her arm around my shoulders. "Old habits sure do die hard," she said. "Okay. Well, don't worry about it. When the music plays… just hold onto your mom, keep your eyes on me and just keep going straight."

I looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." She smiled, rubbing my upper arm. "It's easy."

I took a deep breath. "Okay."

And suddenly Sharpay was swooping up to greet us, my mom in tow behind her. "I finally found her, just in time," Sharpay said breathlessly, looking at a list on her clipboard. "Okay, so, mother of the bride—check. Maid of honor—check. Bride—check. Now the music should start any second, and we'll be on our way…"

Suddenly the sound of Pachelbel's canon came from inside the chapel. Sharpay beamed and checked off another box on her clipboard, nudging me. "Okay, guys, get ready. I'll give you the signal… then go."

We nodded. Taylor stood in front of me, and my mom stood beside me, holding my hand. Tears were already springing to her eyes. "You look beautiful, baby," she said. "I'm so happy for you both. So happy."

She squeezed my hand, and then suddenly Sharpay was hissing, "Go!" And I kept my eyes on Taylor, narrowing my focus to only her blue dress in front of me, putting one foot in front of the other. But we were walking so slowly, and suddenly Taylor turned at the end of the aisle and disappeared. And my eyes slipped to the side and reeled at the number of people staring at me. How did I let this wedding get so big?

But then my eyes latched on baby Rachel in the arms of Mrs. Bolton. She wiggled and waved at me, and I found myself smiling back without thinking. And then my eyes fell on Troy, his blue eyes shining, and I couldn't help smiling back at him too. And coasting on the love from my little family, I made it down the aisle and up into Troy's arms. And the rest of the ceremony was a breeze, after that.

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The afternoon passed in a whirlwind of photos. Being in Albuquerque, we even went back to East High and took pictures at the roof garden. It was a beautiful sunny day, and everyone seemed in an exceptionally happy mood. Sharpay hovered around with her antennae up for any possible problems, but things went off without a hitch.

And then somehow, after a raucous speech by Taylor and some tearful ones from our parents, we were finally at the end of the reception. The dance floor was in full swing, but I wandered the ballroom instead, greeting guests and thanking them for coming to see us. Surreptitiously, I kept an eye out for Troy, who I hadn't seen since the end of dinner. I shook my head. It felt just like Sharpay's wedding, where Troy had disappeared from sight in the middle of the reception.

But suddenly, I felt a hand on my arm. Turning, there was Troy with Rachel, both of them grinning at me like fools. Rachel bounced merrily in her Baby Bjorn sling, a carrier that strapped her securely onto her father's chest, facing toward him.

"Hey, blue eyes," I said, kissing her on the cheek. She giggled and bounced again, making her father let out a grunt at the pressure.

"Look who's all cheerful at being a legitimate child now," said Troy, leaning down to kiss me quickly. "I'm serious. The kid's been ridiculously upbeat all day. And completely terrorizing both her grandmothers."

I touched Rachel's head of dark hair, letting her grab my finger in her fist. "What?"

He rolled his eyes. "It's why I had to strap her in and take her away for a bit. She's been pulling hair. She loves it. You've taught her well."

"I did not teach her… whoa." I dodged back suddenly as Rachel snatched for a handful of my hair. "You totally taught her that. You or Jack. I just know it relates to basketball somehow."

He laughed, and Rachel did too, wiggling her legs and grabbing fistfuls of Troy's shirt instead. "Well, that might be true. Grandpa Jack did spend a lot of quality time with her while we were at the high school. Could have been teaching her how to foul with style."

"Probably." I smiled at the thought. Coach Bolton was constantly wide eyed in wonderment at his granddaughter, and always thoroughly excited at showing her new things. "But you know, I warned you about the lunkhead basketball player bit."

"Oh, lay off her, she's nine months," he said, laughing. "Let her have some fun while she's young. You and Taylor can nerd her up when she starts walking."

"Nerd her up? Oh please…"

But suddenly, a bright light cut me off. I put a hand up to my eyes and realized the wedding DJ had shone his spotlight over to us. A slow song was playing on the speakers, and the DJ suddenly spoke into his microphone.

"Could we have the happy couple possibly lead us in this dance tonight?"

My stomach felt queasy. Everyone was looking at us again. "My feet are killing me," I whispered to Troy. "Can't we sit this one out?"

"Well…" He shrugged, and then grinned. "Come on, Montez. It's our wedding day. Let's just go with it." He took my hand. "And anyway… we've had good luck with spotlights before."

That he was right about. I let him lead me out on the dance floor, and he wrapped his other arm around my waist, forming a warm circle with Rachel in between. I blushed like an idiot as our friends and family started to applaud, while Troy smiled at me proudly instead. But then Rachel wiggled cheerfully, and I leaned down and kissed her. And then suddenly, with the spotlight on, it seemed there was nothing in this world but us and our beautiful daughter. I closed my eyes and held Troy tighter, wrapped in his warmth, wanting to remember this moment forever.

Suddenly, Troy leaned down and whispered to me. "I told you it would work out," he said. "You look really happy, Gabi."

I smiled and kissed him softly on the cheek. "It's because I am," I replied.

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**Author's Note**: So! We're finally done the story. And I hate to disappoint, but there will likely be no sequel to this. Yep, I'm going to leave them on the dance floor there indefinitely, unless by some remote chance I happen to find a story for them that just _needs_ to be told. I actually want to try doing some original writing now, so I've just really got to keep myself away from HSM (so sorry)!

Anyway, THANK YOU SO MUCH to all who reviewed, especially carito06, Jewel2502, Amandeezy, TheFlash017, Linani, Artificial Donkey, chuppachup, sophthewiseone, nadia2008, Zanessa Fan Forever, Strawberry Starburst, mylifeismine, soaringinlove, loveRHINO, Josie21612, candyangel1791, chickenricewack, miniprincess93, Elise Efron, Oliverwoodschic, ZacNessa4ever, shoppinfreak, aussiegirl1989, Randomly Smurfy, keepermarch, BrUn3Tt3 BaBiix0, MAKEsomeDASEY, Zac.Luffs.Nessa, Vampriss-D, VanessaAnneEfron, Phia the Ducati Chick, troyella is my life, x.iNT0theRUSH.x, ssshhht hoy, StarInHeaven1014, D.A. Gray, Amalta, and x-applesauce-x. And a big special shoutout to Regina Trudeau (congrats on the math test!), smiliepie, xochrissy, and the wonderfully-named jazzsquared for their lovely reviews this whole time. (As with the last time, I hope I got everyone there… but if I didn't, you know I think everyone who submitted a review was wonderful, and you should all definitely know that!)

And just like the last story, if you have been reading along and have anything at all to say about S&T, please do feel free to send me a review right now. It is kind of like a last chance for me to hear from you while it's all fresh in both our minds.

But truly, once more: thank you all so much again for reading this story. It's your support that has been so important in making me write and continue all these fics. I really do feel honored that you took the time to read what I've put up, and that often you've responded so well to it. I thank you again from the bottom of my heart. Lots and lots of love!


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